Acting Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath's photographs clicked by Reporter of Newsband Pratibha Yadav

Acting Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath is to the left. To the right is Employee of Newsband and KD Constructions Pvt Ltd Radhakrishna Dalai. The photographs are clicked by Reporter of Newsband Pratibha Yadav.

Dinesh Kamath's column on 'Movie and TV World' that appeared in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Internal purity is also important) that appeared in Newsband

Internal purity is also importantIt is not enough just to protect ourselves from infections and diseases. We indulge in good eating and clean living habits to prevent ourselves from catching diseases. We take care of our external cleanliness - but what about our inner cleanliness? Is it not out duty to keep our heart, mind and soul clean too?
We pick up so may negative vibrations from the external world that threatens to create negativities within us. They can make our minds and hearts impure. Hence it's our duty to create an immune system by which our sacred mind doesn't get polluted. The only way to achieve this goal is by overcoming jealousy, doubt and unnecessary desires.
We harbour within us both good and bad memories. We should not only blame others for our misfortunes but also give credit to them if they have helped us achieve some success. Also we must not always blame others for our misfortunes because there is possibility of we being personally responsible for our own misfortunes.
Sometimes ignorant people irk us. At such times we should display patience and not get upset. At the same time we must keep our minds open to accept the knowledge passed on by wise people. This way we can create positivity in both our minds and hearts.
We must prevent our children from absorbing negative vibrations since it is these negative elements that make them use abusive words and resort to violence. If these children are ignored at the early stage then their negativity can spread to the whole world when they grow up. This is how terrorism is born.
Hence the young ones must try their best to drop off all their negative traits one by one right from young age itself so that they grow up to become absolutely normal beings.
Thus it is not enough just to remove physical impurities. Getting rid of mental and emotional impurities is also a must. Only this can make us Divine.

Dinesh Kamath's column on 'Movie and TV World' that appeared in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (India and America will make great partners) that got published in Newsband

India and America will make great partners
India and the US need to rejuvenate interest in each other. Misreading, misunderstanding, or simply losing interest are not options. Friendship with each other is the strategic necessity for both India and America. The question is whether either side is really interested in a real "strategic partnership".
The thing is both India and America are open democracies while China is not. Hence friendship with India will benefit America more than bonding with China.
India-US relations did strengthen a bit after President Barack Obama's India visit last November. Unfortunately, there is no senior political voice in the White House which advocates building up of strong relationship with India.
Three issues are cited repeatedly by members of the US Congress and some in the White House for the "drift" in relations - elimination of the two US fighter planes from the largest defence contract India would grant, the nuclear liability law which makes it hard for American companies to get a slice of India's nuclear pie and India's abstention in the UN Security Council on the vote authorizing force against Libya.. Things would be much easier if Washington recognized and treated India as a "partner", not competitor. US lawmakers tend to cast India as a job stealer and a climate changer. They ignore investments and job creation by Indian companies.
The US Congress is focused on the big contract lost and the US defence industry is "shocked" by India's decision to reject American jets. But if the industry and the administration wanted to show commitment to the partnership and make a qualitative leap, the US would have offered its more advanced fighters.
The good news is that India has embraced US defence technology and already signed up to buy 10 US C-17 heavy lift aircraft worth $4.1 billion, with talk of another six in the future worth $6 billion. It has bought American military transport planes and Boeing will sell 30 B737 ($2.7 billion) to SpiceJet.
As for the nuclear liability law, it came against the background of demands for justice for Bhopal gas victims. And America is obviously angry about India's abstention on Libya.
India has over the years watched US policy on Pakistan and tolerated the go-soft approach on terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba. Many Pakistani actions against India - the Mumbai attacks, bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul - are thinly disguised acts of war. Yet, self-interest and US persuasion have kept the Indo-Pak dialogue going.
The good politicians in Washington must understand the needs of a partner which is neither a challenge like China nor reflexively anti-American like Pakistan. India is the right partner for America.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorials ('Remove all loopholes from our defence system' and 'Remove corruption from the armed forces') that appeared in Newsband

Remove all loopholes from our defence system As far as Indian military is concerned there are significant problems in tactical interoperability, defence planning and overall coordination
The defence reforms process has largely failed to deliver.
The government needs to focus on the need for the next generation of defence reforms.
That the services lack the capability to operate seamlessly has been proven time and again in operations. During the deployment of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka, the army used to embed its radio detachments with naval ships and air force attack helicopters to enable communication links. Among the few instances where the army requested naval gunfire support, the navy engaged targets two kilometres away! More recently, during the Kargil war in 1999, air force jets did not have the capability to communicate with troops operating on the front. In fact, the air force did not have secure, encrypted communication capability (and still does not) in some of its planes, forcing them to fly in radio silence - a characteristic of the WW II era.
Similarly, intelligence gathering and analysis has been one of our weakest links. There are reports that in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, while the air force was prepared to carry out surgical raids, it was hampered by a lack of accurate intelligence on the location of terror facilities in Pakistan.
These weaknesses need to be eliminated at the earliest. If, somehow, the government does decide to revisit defence reforms, then it should begin by re-examining the issue of integration of armed forces headquarters with the ministry of defence. In fact, there is a need to have an agency that can deliberate over proposals emanating from service headquarters and examine them purely on its merit. However, the manning of such an agency should be expertise based.
Thus drastic steps need to be taken to make Indian military as strong as possible. All the loopholes in our defence system need to be eliminated since no progress in any field is possible unless, first and foremost, the defence system is strong enough to provide total security to the nation.

Remove corruption from the armed forces
Loyalty, honesty and integrity are the basic traits of soldiering. Till independence young men from royal and landed families joined the army as officers as services were considered the best vocation for men of honour and people used to cherish the desire to don the olive green. Up to the sixties, corruption was taboo and not heard of. Officers served not for money but for a cause and the desire to continue martial family traditions. They possessed incredible moral values and unquestionable integrity.
With the passage of time, evils from the social environment that soldiers come from started creeping in. With socio-economic development and commercialization as well as lowering the status of commissioned officers by the government, the cancer of corruption started eating into the otherwise impregnable security shield. Now one comes across scandals involving senior officers which has not only adversely affected moral in the ranks, but also shaken the confidence of the common man in the operational capability of the forces.
Officers of the rank of major general and lieutenant general are now involved in offences concerning moral turpitude, financial irregularities and other corrupt practices.
Promotions are not immune from corruption. At times these are managed through money, influence or other means. Throwing lavish parties and presenting costly gifts is common.
Wives of senior officers issue orders directly to juniors. For choice postings and promotions even security has been compromised.
Black sheep have certainly tarnished the image of military officers as a class apart. The only saving grace is the stringent military law, which takes to task officers found to be involved in corrupt practices.
Such cases take place because there are certain in-built flaws in the military system. The system need to be strengthened. The military system of dispensing justice needs to be overhauled.
The nation can ill afford to hand over security of the country's borders in the hands of corrupt officers. Such elements need to be weeded out, dealt with a firm hand, while honest officers and whistle blowers respected and rewarded to restore the trust and confidence of the public in the armed forces.

Acting Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath's photographs clicked by Reporter of Newsband Amit Kumar Srivastav

Dinesh Kamath talks about Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar

Dinesh Kamath (Acting Editor of Newsband) is in the first picture. He is the writer of this piece.

Amitabh Bachchan, as he was in the film 'Deewar', is in the second picture.

Dilip Kumar, as he was in the film 'Shakti', is in the third picture.

Today I'll talk about two greatest actors of Bollywood. They are Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar. It is extremely difficult to tell as to who between the two is a greater actor. If you compare Amitabh's role in the film 'Deewar' and Dilip Kumar's role in the movie 'Shakti' you'll find it extremely difficult to judge as to who between the two is a better actor. Amitabh has his own style of acting. Dilip Kumar too has a style which is not less superior than that of Amitabh. It was a pleasure to see these two Titans of Bollywood clashing with each other in the movie 'Shakti'. Both performed extremely brilliantly in that particular film. Both these actors are legends. In the past, Amitabh excelled whenever it came to playing roles of angry young man, while Dilip Kumar would excel when it came to playing the role of a cool and romantic figure.

In Shakti, Dilip Kumar played the role of a cool, honest and strict police commissioner. What a way he played that role! What a way he delivered his dialogues in that particular film! Although he was aged he appeared like a genuine hero. Marlon Brando had proved in the movie 'Godfather' that an aged man beyond sixty can play a hero convincingly. Dilip Kumar proved the same thing in the movie 'Shakti'. That's the reason why Dilip Kumar is called 'Marlon Brando of Bollywood'. In the film 'Vidhata' too Dilip Kumar had played a fabulous role. He plays a man who is aged and yet he appears like a hero. In this film he was cast along with Sanjay Dutt, Shammi Kapoor and Sanjeev Kumar. Yet it was Dilip Kumar who stole the show throughout the film.

Amitabh's best film was undoubtedly 'Deewar' in which he played an anti-hero. This was the film in which Amitabh was at his very best. He was given excellent support by Shashi Kapoor in this particular film. After Amitabh played the character Vijay in Deewar, the movie-lovers began to compare him with the legend Dilip Kumar. They began to find it very difficult to tell whether it was Amitabh or Dilip Kumar who was the best hero of all times. Other films in which Amitabh excelled as an actor were 'Zanjeer', 'Agnipath' and 'Trishul'. But his performance in these three films could not beat his performance in 'Deewar'. In 'Deewar' Amitabh' was at the peak and his role of coolie-turned-smuggler in 'Deewar' can only be compared with Dlip Kumar's role of tough police commissioner in 'Shakti'.

I am sure that both Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar will be ever remembered as the two best Bollywood heroes of all times. I can't imagine anyone anytime in the future beating these two gems of actors in acting department. The two will ever remain legends. Hat's off to both Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar! Bye!

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Recent civil movements can influence next poll) that appeared in Newsband

Recent civil movements can influence next pollThose who question the role of civil society in India's battle against corruption should recall the words of US Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, one of the great reformers. "In a democracy," Justice Frankfurter said, "the highest office is the office of the citizen."
The government is elected to govern. If it does not, it will be voted out after five years. In the interim, it is the job of citizens, at whose behest the government discharges its constitutional obligations. Civil society globally has catalyzed great change. In the United States, Martin Luther King fought for and won civil rights for African-Americans. That was civil society at its best. In Egypt, civil society ended the 32-year, one-party dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak. Civil society is leading change in Tunisia.
Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev would not have drawn nationwide support had the UPA government done the job it was elected to do. Corruption does not only corrode the foundations of our democracy but it gives birth to several other ills. A big part of taxpayers' funds meant for anti-poverty programmes do not reach the poor. A government deeply steeped in corrupt practices has little incentive to legislate a strong instutionalised anti-corruption body like the Lokpal.
The question that is commonly asked is should the prime minister come within the purview of the Lokpal? Yes: the prime minister as head of the government must welcome institutional scrutiny - as, for instance, US presidents routinely do - not evade it. Secondly, should the higher judiciary (high court and Supreme Court judges) fall within the purview of the Lokpal? No! In this case what needs to be done is forming of a judicial commission which would hear public complaints against senior judges.
There are moments in a government's life when the tide turns. That moment has arrived for this government. If you recall, the Emergency in 1975 had led to the end of 30 years of uninterrupted Congress governments; In 1987 when Swedish Radio first unveiled the The Bofors scam in 1987 it led to Rajiv Gandhi's 404-MP majority in the Lok Sabha getting reduced to less than 200. And, finally, in 1992 the Babri Masjid issue led to BJP-led NDA forming a government at the Centre. Baba Ramdev's constituency has rural farmers and OBCs, not all of them natural BJP supporters. Baba Ramdev is a Yadav himself. His movement will surely influence the 2012 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and the next Lok Sabha poll. It could cost the Congress what it most fears losing: the power
Most politicians regard being in government not as an obligation to serve the citizen but to serve themselves. That is the saddest thing.

Dinesh Kamath's column on 'Movie and TV World' that appeared in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Are journalists safe in our country?) that appeared in Newsband

Are journalists safe in our country?A day after veteran investigative journalist Jyotirmoy Dey was shot dead by killers on motorcycle in Mumbai, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Sunday asked the Mumbai police to urgently complete the investigations into the murder.
Dey, who wrote under the byline 'J Dey', was Editor (Special Investigations) with the Mumbai and was shot in broad daylight at Powai on Saturday.
There has been much noise and fury about press freedom. 'We want a free press,' you hear the journalists cry, and surely that is an entirely reasonable request of any administration, in any civilized country. But what is meant by a free press? A journalist is expected to share the responsibility for establishing a civil and secure society. It does not give the journalists the right to be above the law and have the freedom to publish absolutely anything they want.
Press freedom carries with it an awesome responsibility, the responsibility to build a better society, not break it apart, to improve our knowledge, not fill the web and airwaves with lies and extremist nonsense. It is a responsibility that should be self imposed and self-regulated irrespective of any other legal requirements and treated as a great treasure to be protected and fought for.
Real news is an unembellished factual reporting of events, no more and no less. An opinion piece is based on the factual reporting of events overlaid with a hopefully erudite analysis of the implications of this news. It is often told from a particular view-point, but a properly edited opinion piece flags to the reader the particular bias of the writer, so you can intelligently distinguish fact from opinion.
Good journalism and reporting should be a quest to find out the facts by speaking to as many sources as possible, from all sides and angles of a story while also getting the news as quickly as possible to the public. Dey was a good journalist. He was diligent and responsible in his work, fair and balanced in his approach. He would do his job properly and professionally. Then why was he killed? His death gives rise to the question whether we really have the right environment for an entirely free press?

Dinesh Kamath's photographs clicked by his daughter; Location is Dinesh Kamath's residence

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Thanks to Anna and Baba) that appeared in Newsband

Thanks to Anna and Baba
Many wealthy persons in India have stashed away their money abroad to avoid taxes. That's the reason why Baba Ramdev had staged a protest. The central issue raised by the Baba was black money overseas. But the way he was evicted has given birth to new issue and that is why one has no right to protest in a democracy?
Money generated by income that has either not been taxed or through criminal means is called black money. It is become a habit for many wealthy people in India to siphon their money abroad and they hardly suffer from any sense of guilt. These people with foreign account say that taxes like income tax, wealth tax, building tax etc are unrealistically high. They could be right. An Economist has pointed out: "Necessary taxation is not theft. But there are margins at which taxation becomes difficult to distinguish from theft."
The best thing for the government to do is to charge lower taxes and allow people to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Now those who have sent out money only to carry out their legitimate business should not be confused with criminals who have siphoned out money. It is the latter that the government needs to target the corrupt politician, the bribe-seeking bureaucrat, the drugs dealer, etc.
But Indian laws are much more relaxed now. More people are paying taxes and smuggling of goods has fallen to negligible levels. This being the case, there is no reason for even businessmen to evade tax and siphon out their money to overseas tax havens.
However, no one likes to pay taxes. So with an easier tax regime there must be stronger enforcement. In the US, for instance, few take the risk of dodging taxes because the penalty is prohibitively high. The strongest enforcement should be directed against of course the criminal elements, and also against corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. This is because unless the hidden cost in the economy resulting from the need to pay bribes - is removed, it would be extremely difficult to root out black money.
Thus the battle against black money is a noble one. India should reach international pacts with countries like Switzerland, Mauritius Cayman Islands and the Isle of Man to keep a close tab on money being illegally routed there. And at home there should be proper financial intelligence to minimize tax evasion. There must also be a more effective anti-corruption law and a Lokpal that has teeth.
Both Anna and Baba have done a great job. Thanks to them!

Dinesh Kamath compares Michael Corleone with Tony Montana

The first picture is of the writer of this piece Dinesh Kamath (The Acting Editor of Newsband).
The second picture is that of Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in the movie 'The Godfather'.

The third picture is that of Al Pacino as Tony Montana in the movie 'Scarface'

Al Pacino is the great Hollywood actor who played the role of Michael Corleone in the movie 'The Godfather' and Tony Montana in the film 'Scarface'.

Michael Corleone in 'The Godfather' was a quiet fellow as compared to Tony Montana in 'Scarface'. Tony was a loud character and a man of action. Michael was the son of Godfather of one of the most powerful mafia family. After the death of his brother Sonny Corleone, it was Michael who took over from his father Vito Corleone and occupied the seat of Godfather. Michael turned out to be the most powerful Godfather. He turned out to be a powerful decision maker. Actually, Michael, after his schooling, had joined the Navy and he was least interested in the family business. But after his elder brother Sonny got brutally murdered by the enemies and his father became too old to look after his mighty empire, Michael made a decision to take over from his father and become the mafia chief of one of the most important family among the five mafia families that existed in New York. And what a chief he turned out to be! Michael's ability to lead his family was underestimated by his elder brother Sonny when he was alive. He thought Michael was a kid and too weak to look after the mighty empire belonging to their father Vito. But Michael turned out to be just the opposite. He proved to be extremely tough - in fact, tougher than his brother Sonny. He turned out to be more dangerous and brainier than Sonny. He managed to do for his family what Sonny could never have done. He made the Corleone family the toughest among all the Mafia families and his family continued to enjoy the number one position for a long, long time until his natural death at a very old age.

Tony Montana of 'Scarface' was a refugee from Cuba who enters America and after doing all kinds of odd jobs rises to the position of one the most dreaded and powerful gangster. But it was Tony's addiction to cocaine that proved to be his downfall. But you'll admire the way he fought the enemies till his last breath. He didn't give up till he was shot from behind and he lay dead. It was Al Pacino who portrayed Tony Montana. Tony was just the opposite of Michael. While Michael was cool and intelligent, Tony was hot-tempered, rash and a man of action. Michael was not much interested in womanizing while Tony was a terrific womanizer. If you will see both the characters on the screen, you won't believe that both the characters were portrayed by the same actor Al Pacino because both the characters are just opposite to each other. That's the reason why Al Pacino is called the most brilliant actor Hollywood has ever witnessed.

It is difficult to judge as to who between Michael and Tony is a better character. People who believe that Brain is superior to Brawn will enjoy watching Michael perform on the screen while those people who get excited only when they witness a man of action will prefer to see Tony on the screen (they will find Michael too boring to watch). But I personally loved both Michael and Tony since both had their own strong and weak points. While Michael was cool and brainy, Tony was hot-tempered, rash and a man who obeyed his heart. But hat's off to Al Pacino for playing these two characters, who are totally opposite to each other, so brilliantly and convincingly. Bye!

Dinesh Kamath's Editorials ("Democracy throttled' and 'When Ravan is born, we need Ram') that appeared in Newsband

Democracy throttled
Manmohan Singh government has taken a big risk by evicting Baba Ramdev from the Capital after a midnight police raid on his camp at Ramlila Maidan. This has brought together rival factions of civil society, besides exposing the Centre and Congress leadership to sharp attacks from political opponents.
Anna Hazare's camp announced that they would boycott the meeting of the joint Lokpal panel and sit on a one-day hunger strike as a mark of solidarity against the midnight strike against Baba, who has been externed from the Capital for 15 days.
The Hazare group also endorsed Ramdev's demand for an ordinance to declare Indian funds illegally stashed abroad as national asset and to provide for means to bring the money back.
This incident has given birth to contentious issues like whether PM and judiciary should be brought under the proposed Lokpal bill.
The Hazare and Ramdev camps earlier appeared to have drifted away for a number of reasons stretching from genuine differences of opinion on issues to the presence of RSS-leaning figures in the Ramdev camp. The red carpet rolled out for Baba on Thursday when four Cabinet ministers and the cabinet secretary turned up at the airport to receive him had led to apprehension that the yoga guru was being promoted as a counterweight to Hazare Campaign.
It's great to see the Hazare team coming out in open support for Baba, keeping their differences aside. Hazare accused the government of throttling democracy. There was no fault with Baba Ramdev's agitation but at midnight, beating up people -- women, children and elderly -- is a blot on democracy.
The newly-forged unity among civil society means that the government will now have to contend with a stronger opposition. There is a possibility that Baba, so far ambivalent on whether PM should be within the purview of Lokpal, may now support the Hazare group. Major political parties -- BJP, Left, Samajwadi Party, BSP and JD(U) -- all condemn the police action as reminiscent of repression during the Emergency of 1975. The sole exception was Lalu Prasad.
The footage of firing of teargas shells and panic-stricken women and elderly running for cover relentlessly playing out on TV screens pointed to the risk of government having to pay a political cost. The government is already handicapped by exposure of scams.
Congress stressed the threat from "communal forces". This justification for Ramdev's eviction can have political spinoffs. The government's motives are suspect now. The government has been trying to crush the anti-corruption movement.
The organization 'India Against Corruption' condemned the "barbaric and unprovoked" action and demanded an explanation from the PM. Hazare said that instead of "gore angrez" shooting down Indians in the Jallianwala Bagh incident, "kale angrez" had attacked people. The government's action is undoubtedly a violation of "fundamental rights of citizens".


When Ravan is born, we need RamBy its brutal police action against Ramdev's so-called yoga camp in New Delhi the central government has proved that it doesn't care for the legal rights of an individual. The Centre's strong-arm tactics against a gathering that had remained peaceful is another proof about the fact that it doesn't care for law. Before these actions were taken, the senior members of the government did try to reach a compromise with Ramdev regarding his main demand of immediately bringing back into the country the huge amounts of black money reportedly stashed abroad by tax evaders and scamsters. That shows the government is guilty.
As expected, the opposition, mainly the sangh parivar, has come out in full-throated support of Ramdev, comparing the police raid on the yoga camp with the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The use of brute force was compared with the imposition of the Emergency by Indira Gandhi in 1075. At that time, Jayaprakash Narayan's anti-government movement played a part in provoking the imposition of the Emergency.
No government has the right to deny fundamental rights to any citizen of the country. It was a brave act on the part of Anna Hazare to have initiated the movement to control the corrupt government. The more flamboyant Ramdev liked the idea of Anna and he too tried somewhat the same thing. These two people will remind you of Jayaprakash Narayan who too had set himself up as a public representative who without the mandate of ever having been elected to public office tried to change the laws on which the Indian republic is founded. Neither Jayaprakash Narayan nor Anna nor Baba took law in their hands. They did what was their right. When the corruption in the country rises much beyond the limit and takes an ugly form it becomes necessary for someone like the above three to take the initiative and end corruption which can otherwise finish the country.
It is such type of leaders who are found necessary by common people of our country when legal channels are seen to be incapable or unwilling to provide even a semblance of justice. If you read the history books you'll find that such type of noble personalities repeatedly had to step in to rectify the many failures of the Law. When the law is seen to fail, a vigilant leader like the above three emerges. When Ravan is born, we find the need of Ram who never fails to come to our rescue.

Dinesh Kamath prepares for rain; wears berge wind-cheater

Acting Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath has worn berge wind-cheater to negotiate the rain that has started pouring in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Location is Newsband Office at Vashi, New Bombay. All the above five photographs were clicked by Reporter of Newsband Amit Srivastav

Dinesh Kamath's Editorials ('India and English' and 'Tony Greg vs. BCCI') that appeared in Newsband

India and EnglishOfficially English has a status of assistant language, but in fact it is the most important language of India. After Hindi it is the most commonly spoken language in India and probably the most read and written language in India. Indians who know English will always try to show that they know English. English symbolizes in Indians minds better education, better culture and higher intellect. Indians who know English often mingle it with Indian languages in their conversations.
English is very important in some systems legal, financial, educational, business in India. Until the beginning of 1990s, foreign movies in India weren't translated or dubbed in Indian languages, but were broadcast in English and were meant for English speakers only. The reason Indians give such importance to English is related to the fact that India was a British colony.
When the British started ruling India, they searched for Indian mediators who could help them to administer India. The British turned to high caste Indians to work for them. Many high caste Indians, especially the Brahmans worked for them.
The English Christian missionaries came to India from 1813 and they also built schools at primary level for Indians in which the language of instruction was local language. Later on the missionaries built high schools with English as the language of instruction which obliged the Indians who wanted to study to have a good knowledge of English. The British rulers began building their universities in India from 1857. English became the first language in Indian education. The 'modern' leaders of that era in India also supported English language and claimed it to be the main key towards success.
Even after India's independence, English remained the main language of India. It still remains the important language of India.
Just like the Americans, Australians or even the British who have their unique English words and phrases, the Indians also have their own unique English. The Indians and the Indian English language press uses many words derived from Indian languages, especially from Hindi. Other than that, the Indian accent is sometimes difficult for non-Indians to understand. There are some Indian pronunciations that don't exist in non Indian languages. The British also had problems with that and they caused some changes in Indian words so that they could pronounce them. This gave birth to Indian English which is called Inglish.
Anchor

Tony Greig versus BCCI
Former England skipper Tony Greig has created a controversy. He has shown his opposition to 'Indian domination' in the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) enjoys a prominent position in the ICC. This has happened over a period of time and due to massive viewership in India, where the sport is often compared to a religion. The BCCI represents the aspirations of a vast section of global cricket fans. Indian Cricket Board is accused of possessing monopolizing tendencies. In earlier days, the English and Australian cricket boards, who were the heavyweights in the ICC, were doing the same thing. At that time, few saw this as a problem. So, why single out BCCI?
BCCI has done excellent contribution to the game of cricket. If successful new cricket formats such as the IPL have turned out to be huge money-spinners attracting international talent, the credit goes to the BCCI for thinking out of the box. The cricket fans all over the world appreciate this move by BCCI. BCCI has indeed done an excellent job in promoting the game of cricket.
But yet there are people who support Tony Greig for condemning BCCI's hegemonic attitude. They say that Greig's frank comment echoes the feelings of many cricket fans and nations that feel that the BCCI has been unnecessarily arm-twisting the ICC and other boards into toeing its line. According to them the BCCI has formed unilateral arrangements to allow more series between a few select nations like Australia and England. Such arrangements, they say, work against the mandate of the ICC, which must focus on expansion of cricket across the world. They further say that the BCCI's behaviour has merely damaged its reputation. India had fought for democratising the ICC's decision-making process. India's critics say that this spirit is missing in BCCI's own dealings with the ICC and its treatment of other boards. They don't want Cricket's future to be reduced to one country's or region's sporting dominance. They are against the idea of the BCCI flexing its financial muscle.
But the general feeling in India is that BCCI is doing its very best to make Cricket a truly global sport.

Dinesh Kamath's column on 'Movie and TV World' that appeared in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's Editorials ('What's the difference between Congress and Modi?' and other editorials) ) that appeared in Newsband

What's the difference between Congress and Modi?
Narendra Modi's acts of commission and omission during the 2002 riots deserve the strongest of condemnations. Those crimes need to be impartially investigated and the guilty punished. Just as we are proud that our democratic system ensured a fair trial even for a publicly identified ISI-associated terrorist like Kasab, so also we should let the courts take the Gujarat trials to their logical conclusions.
Those who ask for Modi's head would do well to remember that hordes of Congressmen in Gujarat gleefully joined the BJP and RSS goons who went around massacring innocent people.
The overall track record of the Congress in this matter is no better, if not much worse, than that of the BJP. In addition to the 1984 massacre of Sikhs in north India, it masterminded numerous other riots through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. None of the killers of politically engineered riots in Meerut, Malliana, Bhiwandi, Bhagalpur, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat and scores of others were ever punished. The Congress also injected terrorism into Punjab by its covert support of Bhindranwale's Khalistani brigades. It did incalculable harm to the Sri Lankan Tamils by creating a Frankenstein's monster like the LTTE. The secessionist movement in Kashmir owes its origins and draws sustenance from the Congress party's penchant for rigging elections to install puppet chief ministers.
Congress is highly praised for its positive roles in spite of its negative contributions. So also Modi should deserve credit for his positive role in Gujarat leading the country in many vital areas such as assured power supply to all villages, measures for bringing down the maternal mortality rate by providing financial and other support for safe deliveries to poor women, and a 9.8% growth rate in agriculture while the rest of the country remains stuck at 2-3% growth. It is one of the few states where farmers at large are not at war with industry, where delivery mechanisms for government services have improved dramatically.
The man they condemn as the 'maut ka saudagar' seems to have recognised the folly of promoting communal polarisation. He has not let another riot take place in Gujarat, a state which witnessed numerous caste and communal riots under Congress rule.
The task of cleansing our polity of crime and corruption cannot be done by those who harbour blind prejudice, and partisan agendas. It is best done by people of compassion, and humility; people who remain fair and non-partisan even when dealing with those they hate.

Cannes Festival and Indian Cinema
If the Oscars are about mass appeal and popular entertainment, the Cannes Film Festival is the acme of thoughtful filmmaking. It's a celebration of creativity rather than box-office numbers. And so when our stars go there year after year, it has little to do with their profession. They are there to walk the red carpet to give a boost to the brands with which they have tie-ups. The last time an Indian film featured in the competition was two decades ago when the likes of Mrinal Sen were still active and regularly featured - a sad comedown for a country that won the best film award with Chetan Anand's Neecha Nagar at the festival's first edition in 1946.
Located in a seafront town in southern France, the annual Cannes Film Festival's attracts numerous Bollywood personalities. From Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Shekhar Kapur, Saif Ali Khan and Mallika Sherawat, Cannes is proving a magnet for a rainbow of Bollywood talent. Their presence there gives Hindi cinema a powerful boost.
Cannes is about frocks, photographers and glamour, but that's just part of its fun. It brings together the world's most serious and intense cinematic talent. In addition, it's also one of the world's largest film hubs, a great cinema bazaar where filmmakers come into direct contact with buyers from around the globe. At Cannes, Hindi filmmakers get access to distributors and exhibitors from remote places. A platform like Cannes helps the producers to make contact with exhibitors around the world. After Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Sanjay Leela Bhansali screened Devdas at Cannes, world audiences could see the heady melodrama of an Indian man caught between changing times and two beautiful women. For the world's largest producer of films, this is a unique - and vital - event.
It isn't just big-budget blockbusters though those grab attention at Cannes. In recent years, smaller independent movies, such as Udaan, have generated enthusiastic support from an audience accustomed to polished cinema. For those who insist Cannes favours the old song-and-dance stereotypes of Indian cinema, it's worth remembering that Satyajit Ray won the Grand Prix for Pather Panchali right here in 1956. Critics may question Bollywood personalities stepping onto that historic red carpet today but the fact is their doing so makes a difference.

Crime does not payA Lokpal Bill will curb the incidence of highly visible scams such as the ones associated with the Commonwealth Games and 2G licences. But these instances of corruption, however repulsive they are, represent only a tiny fraction of illegal economic activities which have resulted in a gigantic parallel economy.
Some fear that if civil society activists are allowed to dictate terms, then the new institution will give unbridled powers to the Lokpal. What are the safeguards which will ensure that the Lokpal will not be corrupt? In other words, who will monitor the monitor? In environments where even former chief justices of the Supreme Court have been accused of corruption, it is extremely dangerous to create anything resembling a Leviathan.
Most other established democracies are significantly less corrupt than ours. So, there is no reason why we cannot reduce the level of corruption without sacrificing basic democratic principles. The government should reduce the scope for citizens to indulge in illegal activities or it should slash the incentive for generating incomes through such activities.
The use of PAN cards which is made mandatory for a large number of financial transactions is a good thing that has happened. Increased computerisation in the income tax department has also resulted in lower levels of income tax evasion.
But huge holes still need to be plugged. While we are all incensed when politicians and senior bureaucrats indulge in corrupt practices, we seem to meekly accept the necessity to bribe government officials for services which are due to us, be they ration cards, income tax refunds or clearances to the corporate sector to start new plants. The amounts involved in most instances may be small. But, since bribes have become more or less standard practice in virtually all interactions with government babus, the total sum involved is inordinately large.
Bribes originate as a result of mindless bureaucracy. It does not need any Lokpal to simplify bureaucratic procedures so as to reduce the scope for extraction of bribes. It also makes sense for the government to turn the direction of incentives completely. That is, instead of citizens running from pillar to post, it should be in the interest of the government babus to make sure that their performance is par for the course.
It is high time that the government realized that crime does not pay.

Raise the country's innovation quotient
India's IITs and IIMs produce quality graduates, but why do they not give rise to quality research and raise the country's innovation quotient? The research and faculty at IITs and IIMs are not world-class. Not a single Indian university figures among the top hundred in the 2010 QS World University Rankings. Neither do the IITs and IIMs make it to the top ranks in similar international surveys of research institutions.
The essential reason for this is the lack of quality research facilities and guidance even in some of our best institutes of higher learning. Apart from the skills gap that must be plugged to generate
quality jobs for our youth, this is one more reason to remove the bottlenecks in the higher education sector. The teachers should agitate to bring about the needed innovation.
The focus needs to shift from churning out degree holders to creating knowledge hubs, or clusters of universities which conduct world-class research and impart high-grade skills to students. Among neighbours, Singapore and Malaysia are creating hubs of this kind. In India the
primary problem is excessive bureaucratic control in higher education, surpassing that of authoritarian China which has dramatically improved the quantity and quality of its research output.
Our education system is such that it has diminished the incentive to innovate in Indian institutions. A centralized process of faculty recruitment combined with fixed salaries has entrenched complacency. That there is a strong demand for quality universities is evident from the massive annual outflow of foreign exchange - to the tune of $10 billion - due to students going abroad for higher studies. This brain drain is to be reversed. This will be a step in the right direction. It is extremely important for educational institutes to cater to market needs. This doesn't mean that the government should not have any stake in education. There is no reason to see the public and private sectors in education as antithetical to each other. What is required is a tweaking of government policies to provide more autonomy to institutions, a conducive environment for private investment in education, and more synergy between aided and unaided institutions.

Talkative politician is the need of today
Experts have analyzed the results of five assembly elections. In West Bengal or Tamil Nadu, the government has fallen, and the opponent has emerged - in the former case with a resounding majority. It was the 2G scam in Tamil Nadu.
However, one trend is becoming clearer with time. That is the rise of the assertive and aggressive politician. Most of India's high-profile chief ministers - Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar, Jayalalithaa, Mayawati, Mamata Banerjee, Sheila Dikshit - who have had spectacular victories, are vocal, opinionated and seem to have the 'let's get on with it' attitude.
This is in stark contrast to the stereotypical Indian leader who keeps quiet or, when forced to talk, is diplomatic to the point of avoiding the issue altogether.
The classic example of the silent leader is P V Narasimha Rao, who was rarely heard in his five-year prime ministerial tenure. Our current Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the last eight years is hardly known for his aggression or oratory. Don't talk, don't react, don't explain, don't take any opinionated stance - all this seemed to work extraordinarily well.
In Andhra Pradesh, Jagan Reddy, while not a chief minister yet, won his by-election with historic margins. He is another super talker.
Mamata called her victory Bengal's second independence. Jayalalithaa, upon winning, said that the "DMK had completely ruined Tamil Nadu".
This is India 2011, where silence is no longer equated with dignity, poise or high stature. So low is the credibility of politicians today that silence is seen as smugness, inefficiency and avoiding the issues. This is a cultural shift, brought about by the frustration people have felt with unaccountable governments. From once revered silent leaders, people have started to prefer brash assertiveness, even a bit of cocky confidence.
Indians today are more likely to give a brash politician who will speak a chance, rather than someone dignified who won't talk to the people.
What worked in the past may not work so well in the coming few years. Whoever is positioned as a leader needs to have an agenda, a point of view, drive and, most importantly, a willingness to talk to people about issues. One must be willing to talk proactively on issues that are relevant to the people.
Whether it was the 2G scam, anti-incumbency, anti-communism, developmental issues, freebies or caste/religion equations that determined the outcome of the recent elections can never be affirmed. What is clear is Indians have had enough of posturing and need aggressive leaders.